Biggles' Sky High Hat Trick
Biggle' Sky High Hat Trick is a short story which was first published in The Modern Boy Issue 339, 4th August 1934. The story was subsequently gathered and published in 1935 in the anthology Biggles in France where it spanned chapters 9 and 10 and were titled Out for Records! and Biggles' Bombshell! The story was subsequently adapted, with a change to a WW2 setting and new characters, into The Record Breakers as part of Spitfire Parade. The story did not feature when some In France stories were gathered for Biggles of 266 probably because it had already been used for Spitfire Parade. However it reappeared in 1993 in the Red Fox Biggles in France and the 2009 Norman Wright edition. Both of these versions retained the chapter division and titles of the 1935 edition. In the Modern Boy sequence, this story is preceded by Biggles and the Mad Hatter and followed by Biggles and the Flying Camera. Synopsis During a squadron guest night, Wilks asserts that if any aircraft can equal the record of 6 kills in a day (a "double hat trick"), it would be his squadron's S.E 5. Biggles is out to prove that a Sopwith Camel would do it first. Plot (may contain spoilers - click on expand to read) After Captain J. L. Trollope shoots down 6 aircraft in one day, the pilots of 287 and 266 debate who would be the next to equal or surpass this feat. Wilks thinks it will be a S.E.5 from 287 while Biggles naturally thinks it must be a Camel from 266. Early the next morning, Biggles gets news that Wilks has just shot down three aircraft. By the time Biggles out of bed and ready to takeoff, Wilks has got a fourth! Biggles patrols without success for two hours until he is short on fuel and has to turn for home. Just then, emerging from a cloud, he almost collides with a Hannoverana and manages to shoot it down. After landing to refuel, Wilks confronts him. He had been stalking the Hannoverana for half an hour and then Biggles butted in and shot it down! But Biggles isn't going to go halves on the victory. Biggles takes off again and spends another two fruitless hours. Turning for home, a shadow suddenly falls over his plane. It's a yellow Albatros. Biggles quickly shoots it down. To Biggles' astonishment, Wilks thes past him and shows a clenched fist. Obviously Wilks is not happy that Biggles has once again shot down what he had been stalking. Later that day, Biggles shoots down a third plane, this time a Fokker Triplane. One more he refuels and, late in the day, takes off to find a fourth victory but no luck. It is getting dark and he is short of fuel so he lands at another squadron and is persuaded to stay for dinner. On the phone, Wat Tyler tells him not to attempt a night flight. He would send a tender for him. Wilks and Sqn come to Maranique to celebrate their victory over 266. In the middle of it, Biggles returns. What's the noise about? There's nothing to celebrate, Biggles tells Wilks. While waiting for the tender, Biggles had shot down a Gotha bomber, making the score 4-4. Characters *Biggles *Captain MacLaren *Captain Mahoney *Wat Tyler *Mannering *Wilks *Flight Sergeant Smyth Aircraft *Sopwith Camel *S.E.5 *R.E.8 *Hannoverana *Albatros *Fokker Dr.I *Gotha bomber Places Visited *Maranique *Forest of Foucancourt Mentioned *Douai *Mossyface Wood *Amiens Editorial Changes Other Research Notes *Aerial Victories: Biggles 7. There is mention of 3 before breakfast and then 4 which are covered in detail in the story. A score of 4 in 1 day will remain his record for the rest of WW1. The last of the 4 was later awarded by a count of inquiry to anti-aircraft gunners but Biggles was quite satisfied in his own mind that he had shot it down. *Captain J. L. Trollope, R.F.C. (the record holder whom the pilots of 266 and 287 set out to beat) performed his feat on 28 March 1918. According to Wikipedia, contemporary accounts including by Trollope himself state that he downed 6 aircraft in one day. Modern research however puts his score at 7. Wikipedia article on Captain J. L. Trollope Chronology (see also table at Timeline of the Biggles Stories) *Case for late June-early August 1917 **From a chronology point of view, this comes from the first block of Modern Boy stories which went into Biggles in France and which depicted Biggles' first year of wartime service before Algy arrived. The estimated time for the events is therefore between late June to early August 1917Ward Powers. "What Happened to Biggles in WW1?" ''Biggles Flies Again'' Vol. 3 No. 1, June 2009. **The Hannoverana was a "Type that had only just made its appearance" and was unfamiliar to Biggles. We have a choice between the Hannover CL II (entered service late summer 1917) or the CL III ( March-April 1918). **Since the CLII and CLIII are visually very similar, this favours the CLII as a design unfamiliar to Biggles. If it had been a CLIII, he would have thought it was a CLII. **Algy is not present, so this fits. **But this timing is too early to be seeing Fokker triplanes. *Case for March 1918 **However Captain J. L. Trollope performed his feat of shooting down 7 enemy aircraft in one day on 24 March 1918. According to the text, the story takes place "shortly after" Trollope's achievement. "Nothing else was talked about in the officers' mess...." This implies that the story could only have taken place after the 24th, perhaps in late March. But Algy is conspicuously absent. **Biggles' rank and position are not mentioned but he does say to Wat Tyler, "What are MacLaren and Mahoney doing?". This sounds like a flight commander asking about his two colleagues and suggests that Biggles could be a captain and flight commander by this time. **" all the enemy squadrons ... had been moved further south in readiness for a big attack that was due to be launched the following morning." A reference to Operation Michael perhaps? But this started on 21 March 1918, a few days before Trollope's feat. ** The timing is just right for the Fokker triplane. Incongruities Publication History *''The Modern Boy'', Issue 339, 4th August 1934 *''Biggles in France'', Boy's Friend Library No. 501 7th November 1935 (as two chapters: Out for Records! and Biggles' Bombshell!) *Adapted as The Record Breakers in Spitfire Parade *''Biggles in France'', Red Fox, 1993 and subsequent reprints *''Biggles in France'', Norman Wright, 2009 References Category:Short stories Category:Biggles short stories Category:World War One era short stories